Ian Oakley pleads guilty

This entry was posted on
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
at
12:59 pm and is filed
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BBC – Ex-Tory admits harassment charges: A former Tory candidate has pleaded guilty to a campaign of harassment against his Liberal Democrat rivals. Ian Oakley, who stood down as the Tory candidate in Watford last month, admitted five charges of criminal damage and two of harassment. Oakley, of Ryeland Close, West Drayton, Middlesex, asked for 68 other offences to be taken into account… He slashed tyres and wrecked shutters at the Liberal Democrat headquarters in the town. He made silent phone calls to Ms Brinton between August 2006 and March this year, and sent her gay and lesbian magazines, the court was told. Letters addressed to “Sal Bitchton” were also sent to her workplace. Oakley’s campaign against Mr Willson was mounted from February to May this year and included painting graffiti on his home, calling him a “perv”. He also sent letters to him and his backers wrongly accusing Mr Willson of being a “child abuser”. Donna Rayner, prosecuting, said Oakley had been driven by a “desire to change the political landscape in Watford”.

I’ve personally witnessed and experienced parallels to all of the above, minus the property damage, from a range of Tories. Most of them will show some extraordinary front when denying what they’ve been up to… and then claim that what they did was somehow right/justified when they get caught red-handed. The pattern is depressingly predictable.

Is there a Tory textbook somewhere that teaches them how to do all of this… and to constantly claim (without a shred of evidence to back it up) that Labour/Lib-Dem activists are up to the same or worse?

UPDATE – More details are available via Lib Dem Voice and The Times.

UPDATE – Iain Dale is doing a pretty convincing show of hand-wringing considering some of the behaviour he tolerates from fellow Tories *not* being slammed in the national press, his close mates, and just about anyone who wants to anonymously slag off or threaten people he doesn’t like.

UPDATE (6 Aug) – Liberal Democrats – Cameron must investigate vile campaign of criminal damage: Following the arrest of Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Watford, Ian Oakley, and his guilty plea today on five charges of criminal damage and two charges of harassment, Liberal Democrat Chair of Campaigns and Communications, Edward Davey has written to David Cameron demanding that he holds an urgent inquiry into the procedures and activities of Watford Conservative Party.

Too bloody right. Hands up anyone who seriously thinks that all of this went on without a single warning signal reaching CCHQ:

The Times – Slashed tyres and poison pen letters: how Ian Oakley bullied rivals: By the time he was arrested last month he had committed 75 offences of criminal damage, harassment and malicious communication against his Liberal Democrat opponents in Watford… Watford Lib Dems said that the anonymous vandalism and intimidation began in the months before the 2005 general election, when Oakley was the Conservatives’ campaign manager in the constituency.

UPDATE – Meanwhile, Ian Oakley appears to think that people like him should be kept off the streets.

UPDATE – And here’s a picture, boys and girls….








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